Jerzy Kukuczka : a specialist in winter ascents

Jerzy Kukuczka (1948-1989) Polish high altitude climber is considered as one of the most extraordinary mountain climbers on the planet and an elite mountaineer who specialized in winter ascent. After Reinhold Messner, he was the second man in history to have grabbed the Himalayan Crown by climbing all fourteen 8000ers in less than eight years. Even some mountaineers claim that he was better than Messner: four winter ascents and ten new routes and all this happened in just eight years.

Jerzy Kukuczka’s had started his Himalayan adventure with Nanga Parbat aka Killer Mountain in 1977 but without success.